Last updated: October 2026
The best magnesium drink gives a useful amount of elemental magnesium per serving, in a well-absorbed form such as citrate or glycinate, without much sugar or caffeine. When we checked UK drinks in October 2026, ready-to-drink cans gave 100mg to 180mg of magnesium each, while drink powders gave 148mg to 375mg per serving.
Below: what popular UK drinks contain, how to read the label and when to drink one. We don’t rate or rank other brands’ products.
Our own magnesium drink: the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a berry drink powder with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate (148mg of magnesium per serving), glycine and L-theanine. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
The three types of magnesium drink
“Magnesium drink” covers three quite different things:
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- Ready-to-drink cans. Sparkling or still drinks with added magnesium, often with fruit juice or botanicals, at one fixed dose per can.
- Magnesium-rich mineral water. Natural water with magnesium already dissolved in it, such as Donat Mg from Slovenia.
- Drink powders and sachets. A scoop or sachet you stir into water, hot or cold: the simple way to add magnesium to water. Our guide to magnesium glycinate powder covers that form in detail.
A magnesium drink isn’t the same as the bottled “magnesium citrate” laxative sold in American pharmacies, which is a medicine.
Magnesium drinks compared: cans vs mineral water vs powders
| Cans | Mineral water | Powders | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium per serving | 100 to 180mg per can | About 100mg per 100ml glass (Donat) | 148 to 375mg |
| Forms | Citrate, glycinate, blends | Natural mineral salts | Glycinate, citrate, carbonate, malate |
| Sugar and calories | Under 45kcal; up to about 7g sugar | None | Usually little or none |
| Best for | Convenience, a lower dose | Sipping through the day | A higher or adjustable dose |
What’s in popular UK magnesium drinks (checked October 2026)
The most searched drinks, alphabetically, from each brand’s own website or label. Evopure isn’t connected with any of them.
| Drink | Type | Magnesium per serving | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetterYou Magnesium Water Hydrate | Still, 250ml can | 180mg | Citrate, glycinate |
| BetterYou Magnesium Max | Powder, 2g | 375mg | Glycinate, citrate, malate |
| Donat Mg | Mineral water | About 1,000mg per litre | Natural |
| Evopure Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex (ours) | Powder | 148mg | Bisglycinate, citrate |
| Healthy Metal | Sachet | 250mg | Glycinate |
| Holland and Barrett Snoozy Mocktail | Sparkling, 250ml can | Not stated online | Not stated |
| Natural Vitality Calm | Powder, 4g | 325 to 350mg | Carbonate with citric acid |
| OHMG Au Naturel | Sparkling, 330ml can | 100mg | A blend it calls TripleMg |
| Trip Mindful Blend | Sparkling, 250ml can | 120mg | Citrate |
- Trip cans also list lion’s mane extract (100mg), lemon balm and chamomile. See what’s in Trip Mindful Blend and whether Trip drinks contain CBD (they no longer do).
- Holland and Barrett’s Snoozy Mocktail is a lightly sparkling cherry drink with red cherry juice concentrate, magnesium and chamomile extract (0.03%), sweetened with stevia: 43kcal and 2.5g of sugar per can. The four-pack was still on sale. It’s a ready-made sleepy girl mocktail.
- BetterYou sweetens its waters with agave nectar (20kcal per can), and its Focus version adds natural caffeine. See BetterYou magnesium.
- Donat Mg is marketed mainly for digestion, and its sulphates have a laxative effect. A UK retailer’s listing of the label also shows about 1,700mg of sodium per litre.
- Healthy Metal sachets list magnesium glycinate, citric acid, flavouring and stevia; see Healthy Metal magnesium.
- Natural Vitality Calm fizzes when you add water; our Natural Vitality Calm guide has the details.
How to choose a magnesium drink
1. Elemental magnesium per serving
Read the “magnesium” line in the nutrition table, not the compound weight. Magnesium is always bound to a partner that can weigh far more: Zooki’s label lists 2,000mg of magnesium bisglycinate supplying 200mg of magnesium. Then do the maths per serving:
- Trip lists 48mg per 100ml, so a 250ml can gives 120mg.
- BetterYou Hydrate lists 72mg per 100ml, so a can gives 180mg.
- Donat at about 1,000mg per litre gives about 100mg per 100ml, so a 250ml glass gives about 250mg.
Most cans give about a quarter to a half of the 375mg nutrient reference value (NRV). A powder lets you take more, or less, in one glass. Our guide to the types of magnesium explains each partner.
2. The form
Citrate and glycinate (or bisglycinate) are the forms you’ll see most. In a 60-day UK trial in 46 adults, magnesium citrate raised blood levels more than an amino-acid chelate or oxide, and a US study found only about 4% of magnesium oxide was absorbed. Read more on magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate and glycinate vs citrate vs threonate.
3. Sugar and sweeteners
Check “of which sugars” per can, not per 100ml. Fruit-juice cans can carry several grams; powders usually use stevia.
4. Caffeine
For an evening drink, check for green tea, guarana, coffee or cacao, which some “focus” or “energy” drinks include.
5. Added herbs
Chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, L-theanine and lion’s mane are common extras. None has an authorised health claim in the UK, and labels rarely say how much is in a can, so treat them as flavour and ingredients rather than a reason to buy.
6. Cost per serving
With a can you pay for water and packaging each time, so powders usually work out cheaper per serving of magnesium. Divide the price by the number of servings, then by the milligrams of magnesium in each.
For tablets and capsules too, see our UK magnesium supplement guide.
The Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is our berry magnesium drink: 148mg of magnesium per serving from bisglycinate and citrate. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal psychological function. The Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a reishi hot chocolate made with reishi mushroom extract, organic cacao, maca, coconut milk powder and coconut sugar; it contains a little natural caffeine. Sleep CBD Oil is broad spectrum CBD (0% THC) with passion flower extract and a night-time terpene blend.
The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
Our products are for adults (18+) only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
When to drink a magnesium drink, and how much
Many people have theirs about 30 minutes before bed. Two small studies of magnesium-rich mineral water, both run by mineral water company researchers, suggest two easy habits:
- Sip rather than gulp. In 12 men, about 51% of the magnesium was absorbed when the water was drunk in seven small servings, against 32% in two large ones.
- Food helps a little. In 10 women, absorption was about 46% from water alone and 52% with a meal.
The NHS says adults aged 19 to 64 need 300mg of magnesium a day (men) or 270mg (women), and that most people can get this from food. It adds that 400mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm, and more than 400mg for a short time can cause diarrhoea. So add up every product you take: a 250mg sachet plus a 180mg can is 430mg. Our guides to how much magnesium per day, the best time to take magnesium and magnesium side effects go further.
Do magnesium drinks help you sleep?
No health claim linking magnesium to sleep is authorised in the UK, and the trials are small. A 2021 review of three trials in 151 older adults found people fell asleep about 17 minutes faster with magnesium, but rated the evidence low quality. A 2025 trial in 155 adults with poor sleep found a small improvement in insomnia scores with 250mg of magnesium bisglycinate.
Magnesium isn’t a sedative; see does magnesium make you sleepy? and magnesium for sleep. A caffeine-free drink can still be a pleasant wind-down cue, like these alcohol-free nightcaps. If poor sleep lasts for weeks, see your GP.
Who should check first
- Kidney disease: your kidneys clear extra magnesium, so speak to your GP before taking any magnesium supplement.
- Medicines: magnesium can stop some medicines being absorbed properly, including some antibiotics and bisphosphonates such as alendronic acid. If you take these or levothyroxine, ask your pharmacist how far apart to take them.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: several drinks above say they aren’t suitable. Ask your GP, midwife or pharmacist first.
- Bowel preparation: before a colonoscopy, follow the hospital’s laxative instructions, not a wellness drink. See magnesium for constipation.
Our pick: why we made ours a drink
This is our own product, so we’re not neutral. We made the Evopure Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex a powder rather than a can for three reasons:
- Two forms in one glass: magnesium bisglycinate and citrate, 148mg of magnesium per 5g serving, about half the NHS daily amount and well within the 400mg supplement guide.
- Room for the rest of the recipe: glycine, L-theanine, and oat straw, hops, chamomile and passionflower extracts, with natural berry flavour and stevia. Nothing caffeinated is in the ingredients.
- Your choice of drink: water, a warm drink or a smoothie; start with a third of a scoop if you’re new to magnesium.
It’s vegan and made in the UK. We don’t claim it’s better than the drinks above: a can may suit you better if you want something chilled and ready to open. Compare it with magnesium powder vs tablets, or with other drink powders such as Zooki.
Prefer a malted bedtime drink? See does Horlicks help you sleep? for its caffeine and sugar per mug.
FAQs
What is the best magnesium drink in the UK?
There isn’t one best drink for everyone. Look for the elemental magnesium per serving, a citrate or glycinate form, little sugar and no caffeine if you drink it in the evening. In October 2026, UK cans gave 100 to 180mg each and powders 148 to 375mg per serving.
Do magnesium drinks work?
A magnesium drink supplies magnesium, and magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It won’t do more than the same amount of magnesium from food or tablets, and claims about sleep or stress aren’t authorised in the UK.
Can I drink magnesium every night?
Most healthy adults can, as long as your total from all supplements stays at 400mg a day or less, the NHS guide. Too much can cause diarrhoea. Check with your GP first if you have kidney disease or take regular medicines.
Is a magnesium drink better than tablets?
Not necessarily. What matters most is how much magnesium you get and in which form. A drink suits people who dislike swallowing tablets; tablets are easier to carry.
Does magnesium water help you sleep?
There’s no authorised sleep claim for magnesium in the UK, and trials of magnesium for sleep show small effects at best. A caffeine-free evening drink can still be part of a wind-down routine.
How much magnesium is in a Trip drink?
Trip’s website lists 120mg of magnesium per Mindful Blend can, from magnesium citrate, which is 32% of the reference intake. Each can also contains 100mg of lion’s mane extract, plus lemon balm and chamomile (checked October 2026).
Sources
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (magnesium), and taking alendronic acid with other medicines and supplements.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for consumers.
- Sabatier M, et al. (2011). Influence of the consumption pattern of magnesium from magnesium-rich mineral water on magnesium bioavailability. British Journal of Nutrition. PMID 21473800.
- Sabatier M, et al. (2002). Meal effect on magnesium bioavailability from mineral water in healthy women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. PMID 11756061.
- Walker AF, et al. (2003). Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnesium Research. PMID 14596323.
- Firoz M, Graber M (2001). Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnesium Research. PMID 11794633.
- Mah J, Pitre T (2021). Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. PMID 33865376.
- Schuster J, et al. (2025). Magnesium bisglycinate supplementation in healthy adults reporting poor sleep. Nature and Science of Sleep. PMID 40918053.
- Brand pages checked October 2026: Trip Cherry Lemon, BetterYou Magnesium Water Hydrate, OHMG Au Naturel, Healthy Metal, Holland and Barrett Snoozy Mocktail, Natural Vitality and Donat.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex, Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex and Sleep CBD Oil. Evopure isn’t connected with any other brand named here; their details come from their own websites, labels and UK retailer listings, checked in October 2026. Brands: if something is out of date, email support@evopure.co.uk.
